A Matter of Profit

Ahvren arrives home from Mirmandia after fighting an ongoing war; he is confronted with one problem after another. Will he be able to solve them in time for his sister's wedding? Ahvren lives in the city of K'Moth on the planet T'Chin. His sister, Sabri, is engaged to the heir of T'Chin's throne, but it is an unwanted marriage by Ahvren by her. With a rumor going around that someone is to kill the emperor, Ahvren is issued a wager/challenge. He is to find whom this person is and when they decide to strike. If he fails is to go to Zodan and fight, but if he succeeds he has a year to find another occupation. One he finds that his sister is evolved its too late. Sabri assonates her newly wed husband. She is sentenced to death, but Ahvren comes to her rescue and busts her out. A Matter of Profit is truly a mystery worth reading. Hilari Bell does a good job of portraying the characters in just the right manner that it seems that you will never now who did the crime, or who will DO the crime. One example of changing suspicions on characters is when Ahvren reaches a dead end twice and doesn't know where to turn. This changes because you don't know if someone told you false information to cover up a friend. Another example is when he has to chase down a source because he is supposed to cover for his uncle. Another example is when he makes a new friend who lies then tells the truth and saves his life. Another reason why this book is so good is because it has suspense galore. One suspicious scene in the book is when his sister goes missing and the guards have looked every where and still couldn't find her. This is suspicious because the whole family freaks and thinks she has committed suicide. In another scene Ahvren is attacked by some gang and is saved by a creature, which was hired by his friend. Another scene in the book is when the cleaning team is packing up and Sabri is almost exposed as a break out of jail. A reason this book was okay was because it had sometimes when it just droned on and on. When the bibliogaph is explaining something that has nothing to do with mystery it seems to never end. And when Ahvren is not on the case nothing seems to happen and it just rambles on. Lastly after he loses the bet to his father. He visits the bibliograph, they don't have much to talk about and it ends in an unexciting event. A Matter of Profit was an over all good book. I really enjoyed reading it because it had suspense, suspicion and a flow. I recommend this book fairly high. H.Wissmann

Remember the space bar in Star Wars, with all manner of weird creatures, strange musical instruments, odd languages, and yet all of them able to communicate with each other? That is an easy way to visualize the setting of this book. The basic plot is that a brother tries to uncover a conspiracy against the Emperor in time to save his sister from being forced to marry the emperor's cruel son. Embellish that with a myriad of subplots, and embroider it with bizarre life forms, and you have an idea of Bell's story. The leaders of the Confederacy are human, but they are far outnumbered by a vast variety of other beings. With tensions between these various societies, values and cultures, the larger design of immigration and cultural assimilation is woven into the book. I found these issues to fit awkwardly, or heavy-handedly, into the tale, but otherwise found it a fun quick-paced story. Consider Bell's other book Goblin Wood, which I preferred to this one.

Viv Ahvhren is a warrior who needs a break. He doesn't want to fight any more. When Ahvren's father is about to send him to a new war, Ahvren won't go. If Ahvren does not want to go to war, he will have to meet his father's conditions. If not then he will go back to fighting.

Hilari Bell's A Matter of Profit is one of the most original reads ever. Hilari has a unique ability to capture a reader from the outset of her books, and never free that reader until the tale is told. A Matter of Profit is no exception of this ability of hers. This book deals on a multi-themed scale. Its main themes are spellbinding. It deals with inequality of women roles, how to deal with an alien culture, and the age-old question of what is more important, money or knowledge. Hilari has the ability to create a new universe from scratch, discover new races, develop a dazzling don't-want-to-put-down book, and intertwine many morals all into one story. Hilari's A Matter of Profit is an amazing book as are her other books, Navahor and Songs of Power. These amazing stories come from an amazing source, Hilari Bell's Imagia Nation. Everyone should visit that wonderful country at least once, so pick up one of her books, and read it now.

Ahvren's people, the Vivitare, are strangers in a bizarre land. Without one shot fired, they have become the rulers & although Ahvren welcomed the peace, he doesn't quite trust it. How could a people surrender so easily?For all of Ahvren's young life, he's been a warrior & now he's in a battle of wits & not sure he's up to it!I was impressed by this her first effort in science fiction - in some ways, & not bad ways, A Matter of Profit took me back to the days of pulp sci-fi & I once again was a young man off on an Adventure! The humor is keen & the intrigue murky. The bad characters are very bad & the protagonist, though a bit muddled at times, is clean of heart & sticks unerringly to his task. Hilari Bell grabs you, puts you in the story, takes you away & keeps you there!